POTTSTOWN — The second edition of Pottstown’s e-zine “Momentum” has hit area email in-boxes. Like the first one, the new summer edition — titled “a summer to remember” — is filled with positive borough news.

“Momentum” is a quarterly electronic publication put together by Partners for Success, which includes representatives from the borough, Montgomery County Community College, Pottstown Area Health & Wellness Foundation, Pottstown Area Industrial Development Inc., Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority, Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, Pottstown School District, The Hill School and the TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce.

“The idea (of the publication) is to strengthen the sense of community, to start changing perceptions and bringing the community together,” said Steve Bamford, executive director of Pottstown Area Industrial Development.

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Bamford said that after the first edition of “Momentum” was issued in May, the group received quite a bit of feedback.

“It (the feedback) was generally positive and general in nature — and we did get story ideas,” he said. “The reality is, there are so many things going on and one of the biggest challenges we have is to try to determine what story goes in each category because of space constraints. This time we included some events that had already happened and others that are coming up.”

“Momentum” is divided into several sections — business development, recreation and healthy lifestyles, education and art and culture.

“We made the categories intentionally broad so that most stories can fit into one of those categories,” Bamford added.

Examples of stories that can be found in the summer edition of “Momentum” are pieces on the craft beverage industry in Pottstown, the 150th anniversary of Weitzenkorn’s, the annual Pottstown Rumble, BMX races and Dragon boats on the Schuylkill, along with information about MCCC’s University Center and Steel River Playhouse’s schedule for 2014-2015.

“People are time-starved, so we need to be consistent to get the word out about the things that are happening and not just about the events that are going on,” Bamford said. “In terms of business, we want to celebrate new business and recognize institutions that have been here for 150 years, like Weitzenkorn’s.”

Bamford said the e-zine is distributed by the partners to their email distribution lists and through social media. He said the hope is that recipients are then sending it along to their own contacts. A limited number of printed copies are done to be used in meetings and as leave behind pieces.

The introductory article for the new edition of “Momentum” states that some of the activities included have been around long enough to be considered summer traditions.

Bamford acknowledged that some of the positives may be things the community takes for granted, so talking about them is a good thing.

“There’s nothing wrong with repetition. The more repetition, the more likely we can affect the way people view the community,” he said.

To receive future copies of “Momentum,” visit www.paidinc.org and click on “subscribe to our email list.”

Follow Mercury Business Editor Donna Rovins on Twitter @MercBiz

About the Author

Donna Rovins is business editor of The Mercury, developing, writing, planning and executing the daily local Business section. Reach the author at drovins@pottsmerc.com
or follow Donna on Twitter: @mercbiz.